Funny Notes Parents Left for Their Kids
Parents leaving notes for their children is nothing new. These range from little “I love you”s in a lunchbox to friendly but firm reminders not to eat all the cereal, but occasionally parents will add a funny twist to them. Growing up and having kids doesn’t mean losing your sense of humor, and these moms and dads definitely prove that! They got super creative when it came to leaving notes for their kids, it’ll be impossible not to remember what was written on them. Some of these might be stating harsh house rules or handing out punishments, but they’re still absolutely priceless.
Are your parents as funny as the ones on this list? You’ll have to read to find out!
73. A Wild, Wild Walmart
This is a pretty concerning note for your mom to leave behind. We wonder what exactly she went to Walmart to get, and why she was so afraid of going there in the first place. Regardless, we hope whoever finds this note will say a little prayer for her, hoping that she gets what she needs from the store and gets out safely.
Maybe the Walmart in their neighborhood is an especially wild one, or perhaps this mom is just not a fan of going into crowded stores. It’s too bad no one could have gone instead of her. It must’ve been some kind of shopping emergency if she was willing to go out and risk it all.
72. A Taste Of Their Own Medicine
Apparently, dad doesn’t check the spelling on his notes before leaving them around the house. This Reddit user shared this photo and explained that they leave replies to their father’s misspelled notes. In this case, pops should have written “handle”, but instead wrote “handel,” like the name of the famous classical music composer. Their kid, being the smarty pants that they are, left this print out in reply.
If it’s baroque you’ve got to fix it! Kidding aside, it’s pretty great that this person feels comfortable joking around with their dad. Hopefully, their dad sees the sense of humor in the replies, and maybe will take the hint to brush up on his spelling in the future!
71. Reuse Your Towels!
The dad who wrote this note is definitely the one in charge of doing the family’s laundry. He’s sick and tired of having to wash every towel in the house on a weekly basis, and who can blame him? Towels aren’t underwear, they’re meant to be hung and reused! Based on the language used in this note, we’re guessing his kids are a bit older.
Definitely too old to be leaving their wet towels on the floor! This dad is at the end of his rope, if his children don’t wise up after this note there might be serious consequences. They might even be stuck with laundry duty from now on!
70. Lock the Darn Door!
There’s always that one task that your parent needs to remind you to do over and over again. It might be the most obvious thing in the world, like turning the stove off or locking the back door, but somehow you always manage to forget. Luckily, this parent had the good sense to leave a reminder that you can’t overlook.
What kind of mishap occurred that resulted in this warning note? Perhaps a sneaky raccoon managed to get through the unlocked door and wreak havoc in the house. There’s no way you’d want a situation like that repeating itself. Better pay attention to that bright pink sticky note and keep that door locked!
69. Just One Little Mistake
This guy’s mom is definitely the loving, caring type. She’s been watching her baby boy grow up, and now that he has a girlfriend she wants him to stay safe! This might be a weird message to get from your mom, but clearly, she’s looking out for him. There’s only one problem, it looks like she stuck a thumbtack right through the condom!
Now it’s totally useless, though we’re guessing the rest of the box is still okay. Hopefully, the son or the mom in this scenario figured out that the condom had a hole in it before it was too late. Otherwise, Ashley might need to pop down to the pharmacy to get the morning after pill!
68. Ask For Permission
Chela over here seems to have problems with portion control, so much so that her parents have had to resort to taking money from her piggy bank. this is a pretty extreme scenario, but it looks like she’s been eating all the cereal that’s intended to be shared with the rest of the family. So what were mom and dad going to do?
Well, if Chela wants to have all the cereal to herself then she’ll just have to be the one to pay for it. She has full control over when and how much cereal she gets to eat, now that she’s paid the three dollar fee for it. We have to admit, that’s not a bad price to have the box to yourself!
67. Taking A Bite
Usually, it’s our siblings who steal a bite of our sandwich, not our parents! It looks like whoever was packing this kids lunch just couldn’t resist, they simply had to have a bite of their delicious creation. The kid who gets this bitten sandwich for lunch is definitely not going to be pleased, but at least there’s a note left behind.
Not that the note provides any particular kind of explanation. We’re guessing that the kid DOES mind and that the note does very little to make up for the missing bite of their sandwich. They’re going to be the laughing stock of the lunch table when they pull this out of their bag. We predict a pretty grumpy kid coming home from school today.
66. Better Make Sure Mom Doesn’t OD
Mom must be having a pretty bad cough, hopefully, she doesn’t end up accidentally overdosing on cough syrup! Seems like she has a pretty good sense of humor if she’s willing to joke about this kind of thing with her kids. According to this Reddit user, their mom took an extra dose of cough medication which knocked her out cold. But she wanted to assure her family that she was okay!
We think that after this fiasco her family is going to keep a closer eye on her when she’s taking her medication. You can’t have mom overdosing on stuff, even if it’s prescription cough syrup. It was pretty thoughtful of her to leave a note, not that it would’ve helped much if she did OD!
65. They Don’t Play Around with Curfews in This House
If you were the kind of teenager who went out often, you probably know how serious a curfew can be. When your parents say “Be back by 10 pm” they MEAN 10 pm. Not a minute later! Lots of teens think they can get around this rule by sneaking in late at night. But it looks like this kid got outsmarted by their mom.
We hope the weather isn’t too cold outside, otherwise, it’s going to be a pretty miserable night! Whatever they ended up doing past curfew could not be worth sleeping on the patio. If there’s anything to get a teen to stick to the rules its gotta be this. Hey, at least this time they have a blanket!
64. Julian is Just Not Having It
Now, this note might’ve been ordinary if it wasn’t for this kid’s smart response. Young children commonly get notes like these in their lunch box, a generic message reminding them that they’re loved and wishing them a good day. However, Julian wasn’t a typical kid and isn’t sold that easily. He decided to be defiant and push back against these well wishes.
We wonder what kind of fight broke out at home that caused this kiddo to be so sour. This mom must’ve had a good laugh when she saw the sassy response to her well-meaning note. We hope he eventually got over his bitter attitude quickly, there’s no use in going around with that kind of mindset!
63. A Overly Detailed Description
This mother had to leave a note behind for her kids that would explain where she had gone, but perhaps there were some details she could’ve left out. Maybe she thought that simply writing “Took Dad to the hospital” would cause her kids to worry about his well being, so she decided to add in some information to calm their nerves.
Though now they’ll have to push the image of their dad with a tube up his butt out of their imagination. Some things are just better left unsaid, and this is definitely one of those things. We hope the hospital visit went well and that dad came home feeling better, but next time just leave a note that says “Gone, be back soon”!
62. Mom’s Got a Sense of Humor
Looks like this mom wants to get in on some funny parenting trends she found online, while at the same time making up for the fact that there were no napkins in the house. We have to say we’re pretty impressed with how neat her handwriting is, it’s almost as if this was done on a printer. Seems like a lot of work for a makeshift napkin.
She might’ve been better off tossing a handful of tissues in there, at least they would’ve been softer. Hopefully, her kid will be able to nab a spare napkin from someone else at the lunch table, or else grab some paper towels from the bathroom. Anything needs to be better than printer paper!
61. This Kid Can’t Remember Anything
Let’s face it, some people are just forgetful. And that certainly applies to kids, whether they’re very young or in their late teens, they have a habit of forgetting everything their parents ask them. It looks like this mom has grown sick and tired of her requests being ignored, she’s now resorting to sticky notes everywhere.
She’s got the right idea to leave them in a place where they can’t be missed. We wonder if this kid’s morning routine is filled with bright pink sticky notes bearing various reminders. Their mom must have a cabinet filled with post-it notes if she’s using this parenting method. We have to say, it looks pretty effective!
60. Dad Doesn’t Approve of Short Shorts
When it comes to what’s considered appropriate attire, teenagers and parents have a few disagreements. An outfit might look stylish and trendy to a kid, but completely ridiculous to their mom or dad. It looks like the father of this house is particularly disapproving when it comes to their kid walking around pantless. Better throw on some sweatpants quickly!
We’re guessing this teen is getting in on the very short shorts trend, and dad is far from a fan. Maybe their mom is a little more lenient? This note seems particularly frantic, maybe the “no shorts” rule is a strict one in this household. This teen better swap out their clothing before there’s trouble!
59. A Joke That Just Got Better With Age
You might be wondering what the heck you’re looking at in this photo. Luckily, the person who posted it left this explanation: “Went to put on my boots for the first time since last fall. I pulled out what looked to be an ancient moldy banana and this note in my mom’s handwriting. I think I missed this joke by about a year.”
It seems like they left a half-opened banana out in the kitchen somewhere, and as punishment, their mom stuck it in their boot with this note. It’s really incredible that they didn’t smell this banana rotting away in their closet. They probably wanted to go out and buy a new pair of boots after pulling this out of it!
58. A Very Different Place for a Note
Some mothers might get tired of leaving generic lunchbox notes, this particular mom decided to shake things up a little bit. Instead of leaving in an expected place, she decided to let her kid find it for himself. He must’ve been in for quite a surprise when he bit into his turkey sandwich and tasted paper!
We don’t know if this is the most sanitary thing in the world, but it sure is funny. This was probably a weird thing to explain to your friends during lunch, no doubt they’d have questions once you pulled a neon green note out of your sandwich. You’d just have to explain that you have a mom with a very unique sense of humor!
57. Better Eat Those Vegetables
There are some parents who want to feed their kids healthier snacks, though getting them to actually eat their vegetables is a whole different problem. Maybe this parent felt their child wasn’t getting enough vitamins, or perhaps they’re getting a bit too chubby on junk food. Whatever the reason, it would seem that junior here is trading his baby carrots for Twinkies on a regular basis.
We have to admire his enterprising abilities, getting a whole Twinkie out of a bunch of baby carrots is no easy feat. But it looks like his parents want him to eat the snacks they decided to pack for him, not graze the schoolyard for junk food that might be in other kids’ lunches.
56. Busted, Kiddo!
Kids will try to do all sorts of things without their parents’ knowledge. Smoking in secret is very common amongst teenagers, and it’s well known that if you’re caught you’ll be in some very hot water. This teen was probably pretty shocked to find this little note written right onto their cigarette wrappers. They’re probably wondering how the heck their mom found it in the first place.
We’re assuming that this was hidden and not left out in the open, that would have made this kid a grade A moron. We don’t think they’re going to be smoking anytime soon, at least not after that talk they had with their mom. How are they going to buy cigarettes if they’re grounded?
55. Not Where a Condom Wrapper Goes
This parent clearly has a house full of teenagers, and at least one of them is starting to get involved in a relationship! It’s got to be pretty awkward to come across this anywhere but a trash can, maybe this kid thought they were being clever by hiding it? Looks like it’s time to talk about how to properly dispose of a condom wrapper.
Hopefully, their teenager is smart enough to know how to use it, even if they haven’t figured out how to properly throw it away. We really feel for this parent, it looks like they’ve got a lot on their hands if they have more than one potential suspect behind this mysterious condom wrapper.
54. Eat Your Sandwich To Help The Unicorns!
Imagine painstakingly packing your kid’s lunch, only to have them come home not having eaten it. They might have taken a bite of their apple, chowed down on their potato chips, but their sandwich remains uneaten. You can’t have your kid surviving on snacks the entire school day, but how do you get them to eat the food you pack? This dad had a very creative solution.
This father decided the best way to get his kid to eat her sandwich was to scare her into it. This might not be the most ethical way to go about it, but we’re assuming mom and dad have already explored all the other options. We’re wondering if this was the only one that ended up working!
53. A Loveless Sandwich
Sometimes parents are angry at their children, it’s just something that happens. But it doesn’t mean that they will stop caring for their kids, it just means that they’ll do everything for them in a slightly grumpier mood. It looks like this parent figured out a clever way to let their kid know how they really felt that morning while fixing their lunch.
This sandwich might be delicious, but let it be known that it was NOT made with love. Mom or dad is still very upset and wants you to know that this is a sandwich made out of obligation only. We wonder if a sandwich made out of obligation and anger tastes any different from the ones made with love.
52. Feed Me
Why are people so comfortable leaving behind an empty toilet paper holder? Do they think they’re the only ones who are going to use the bathroom until the end of time? It looks like the residents of this household have a particularly hard time remembering to restock the toilet paper, which must have been the reason behind this hilarious note.
Mom and dad must have been sick and tired of getting caught in the bathroom with no toilet paper. They might nag their kids day in and day out about refilling it, but their words fell on deaf ears. The only solution was to make the paper holder a sentient being that demanded to be fed. We have to admit this is a pretty funny idea!
51. A Crispy Companion
Having your parents pack your lunch is a luxury that many of us miss as adults. There are those of us who stay at home after graduation, and in those cases, you’re one lucky son of a gun if your parents are still giving you free snacks. The downside is you don’t get much say in what kind of munchies you’re getting.
You’re all grown up, after all. It looks like Tim has been avoiding the apple his dad’s been packing him, in fact, it might as well be a desk accessory. It must be absurd to unpack and repack the same apple day in and day out. We totally understand the sentiment of this note!
50. Better Get Those Chores Done
How can a parent get their lazy kids to do their chores? Well, if the kiddos are lazing around on a Saturday morning, eyes glued to their smartphones, there’s really only one solution to the problem. This parent will go down in history for using the most creative method to get their kids to do their chores. If there’s one way to get them to do something it’s by revoking their wifi.
Maybe this parent changes the wifi password on a daily basis and refuses to give it up unless all the daily chores have been carried out. This family is probably living in an exceptionally clean house, that is, if this strategy actually works in the long run.
49. Easier than Reading the Manual
Washing machines can be complicated devices for a growing kid to use. How are they supposed to know what buttons are supposed to be pressed and which ones are meant to be left alone? It can be totally confusing to navigate, but luckily this parent figured out a funny way to teach their kid how the machine is meant to be used.
Practically every button on this machine has been covered up, leaving only one option available. Even a monkey would be able to figure out how this machine worked! Hopefully, the kids who use this machine are smarter than a monkey, and will now be able to do their own laundry without a parent’s help.
48. A Very Sneezy Kid
Parents are always trying to keep their kiddos from accidentally ruining their expensive stuff. Technology is the most common item to fall victim to a child’s carelessness, but this note brings up one particular situation we’ve never heard of. We’re familiar with soda spills on the keyboard and fingerprints on the screen, but sneezes? Does this child have some kind of serious allergy?
They’d have to do a lot of very wet sneezing in order to dirty the computer, we guess it must’ve gotten pretty bad if a note needed to be left as a reminder. And to be fair, kids should be taught not to sneeze out in the open. Better get this child some tissues!
47. This Is How You Came To The World
We’re not sure why this note was supposed to be used for, but it definitely let these parents show off their juvenile sense of humor. It’s likely that they have a teenage son at home, the kind of kid who would giggle at a joke like this. Maybe mom and dad just wanted to show him that they weren’t boring old adults.
We’re still judging these parents just a teeny bit for the immature joke, even if it might be the kind of humor that their kid thinks is funny. Surely they can steer their child in a better direction when it comes to the comedy he appreciates. Ever think of taking him to a stand-up comedy show?
46. Parenting in the Age of Technology
If there are two things kids can’t live without nowadays it’s their phone and a WiFi connection. An internet connection is the best thing to withhold from a kid who refuses to do their chores. There’s no motivation greater than their need for the web. This mom had the right idea to use it as an incentive to clean the kitchen.
Not only that, but she’s using a pretty sophisticated verification method. We guess she works late and won’t be able to check their work as soon as they’re done. This is an interesting parenting method adjusted for the age of technology. This wouldn’t have worked when people were using camera-less home phones!
45. Just Trying to Help
It looks like this kid felt bad about slacking when it came to doing chores. Maybe their bedroom is a perpetual mess, or they never bother cleaning their dishes after eating. What’s an easy chore that would make a kid feel like they’re doing their part. Watering the flowers, of course! It takes practically no time at all.
The only problem? If you’re doing it on a daily basis you run the risk of killing the poor plant. That shouldn’t be of concern in this case, because these roses are fake! We wonder how clueless this kid had to be to not notice the bouquet was artificial. Looks like they’ll have to resort to doing their actual chores.
44. A Friendly Reminder from Mom
This is a mom who is not only open about sex education, but she’s also looking out for her daughter’s wellbeing. It might not be the most elegant way to put it but we’re sure her daughter appreciates this over forgetting to take her pill in the morning. It might be an awkward thing for her dad to catch a glimpse of, so we hope mom had the good sense to put it in a more private place.
It might be a little less awkward if this daughter sets a daily alarm for herself, instead of relying on her mother’s handwritten notes. We’re all forgetful about important things, but this is one of those instances where we’d prefer our parents not to get involved.
43. Keftas For Yoda?
The mother of this house is probably a big fan of Star Wars, or at least she knows that her kids are. There’s nothing worse than making a special dish for dinner, only to find that the kids have eaten it before it could be served. She left this pair of creative notes behind to prevent them from devouring the Kefta.
If you want to get through to kids you have to learn how to speak their language. You have to give her credit for the Yoda drawing, it’s pretty darn good! We’re guessing that mom has got to be a fan of Star Wars, otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to capture this Jedi’s image so well.
42. Saving Their Kid the Time
During childhood, teachers and parents are always trying to get you to pick up a book and read. But it looks like one parent was trying to spare their kid from going through this particular book. Maybe they thought the kiddo wouldn’t be into it, or perhaps it just wasn’t age-appropriate. Either way, they just saved their child a few weeks’ worth of reading!
They’re going to have to pick a different story for their book report if they’re still young enough to be doing those. And if they’re still in grade school, we can guess why their parents wouldn’t want them picking this particular publication up. There’s a bit too much bloodshed for a kiddo, don’t you think?
41. The Dishes Will Not Wash Themselves
Dishes tend to pile up when many people are living in a household together, this is especially true when there are children around. Young and old kids alike seem to think their mom is a human dishwashing machine, and it’s no problem if they let the dirty dishes pile high in the sink. Well, it looks like mom has had enough of that attitude.
She decided to leave a pretty funny, passive-aggressive note behind for everyone in her family. She was even considerate enough to leave a scrub brush in the sink, making it easy for them to clean their own dishes. We hope that the next time she checks the kitchen sink the note will be gone along with all the dishes.
40. Which One is the Real Dishwasher?
Looks like dad is sick of having to constantly do the dishes at home. The family might have a built-in dishwasher, yet the silverware piles up in the sink. And who ends up cleaning it up at the end of each day? Brian AKA the dad of the house. Well, not anymore! Looks like dad is finally taking a stand.
He’s tired of getting mixed up with the actual dishwasher and decided to leave this note to help his kids differentiate between the two of them. Hopefully, they’ll get the message after they find this passive-aggressive letter. If they don’t they’ll probably be in for something much worse than a disgruntled note!
39. It’s Watching You…
This parent is clearly sick and tired of their kids leaving dirty laundry every but the dirty laundry basket. Instead of asking their kids another ten times to follow their directions, they instead decided to leave a note. But this note didn’t come from mom or dad, instead, it came from the dirty laundry basket itself! Way to scare your kids into doing their chores.
It looks like this time it’s the basket that’s letting the kids know, in a pretty aggressive way, where the dirty laundry is supposed to go. It even takes things a step further by telling them that it’s going to be watching them. These kids better make sure everything down to the last dirty sock ends up in the laundry basket!
38. Don’t Piss Your Mom Off
We don’t know how messy Kevin and Molly are, but we’re guessing they might not be the most considerate kids in the world. After all, if they were able to leave the kitchen clean then their mom probably wouldn’t have had to write this note. Apparently, mom was so worried her little monsters would ruin her perfectly cleaned kitchen that she had to scare them into staying away.
Mom is making it crystal clear that if there’s a single dirty dish left in the sink she’s going to raise hell. Though we assume her threat of punching someone in the throat is just for dramatic effect. She will probably only figuratively punch her kids in the throat.
37. Mom and Dad Want Some Alone Time
One of the challenges of parenthood is finding the time to get your spouse alone. Parents are still people, and mom and dad need to have a one-on-one, at least occasionally. What for? Well, this sign leaves little to the imagination and does a pretty good job of deterring any potential pestering children.
If there was one way to get your kids to leave you alone, it’s this sign. We wouldn’t be surprised if these parents just wanted to get a little shut-eye, and used this colorful description as a way to REALLY prevent their kids from bothering them. That’s got to be the most brilliant way to get your children to leave you alone for a few hours.
36. Someone Left the Ice Cream Out
You wouldn’t think that a parent would need to explain the concept of “ice cream” to their kid, but it looks like this is what it has come to. We’re guessing that junior was tasked with bringing in the groceries, and instead of putting it away they simply left them all on the kitchen counter. They didn’t stop and wonder whether any of those items needed to be frozen.
Now those pints of Ben and Jerry’s are completely ruined, thanks a lot. It’s no wonder that this parent left behind this note, it might state the obvious but clearly, there was a lesson that needed to be learned here. Hopefully, the ice cream was able to be refrozen and salvaged.
35. Food Is A Necessity
If there’s one thing parents hate to hear over and over again it’s “there’s nothing to eat!”. This is especially annoying if you’re hearing this complaint after doing the grocery shopping. Some kids are just so picky that they refuse to consume any of the food their parents have bought for the house. Thankfully, these parents have decided to leave behind a helpful list of solutions.
If any residents of the household feel like there’s nothing to eat in the fridge they can choose from one of the three options below. But unless there’s a secret snack stash in the basement, we’re guessing that anyone would rather just eat whatever is already in this fridge. Better than trying to eat a cat, that’s for sure!
34. A Special Surprise
There’s really no way to know what resulted in this pigeon invading this family’s bathroom, but it certainly is a shocking thing to wake up to in the morning! Luckily one parent left this note behind to warn anyone who was groggily going to brush their teeth. Better brace yourselves before this bird gives you a fright! Here are our theories for how it got into the house…
We’re guessing that someone left the window open on a cold night, and this pigeon was looking for a warm place to nest. Or perhaps one of the kids decided to adopt a pet bird, and this was the first one they could get their hands on. The one thing we know for sure is that someone needs to get it out of the bathroom!
33. Mom Says Stop Eating Junk Food
It looks like mom has been monitoring her kid’s eating habits and she’s not very pleased. Her kid has been munching on way too much junk food and she wants to put an end to that. The first step? Throwing out all the chocolate they’ve stashed. This might be considered a harsh move but we’re guessing that the situation was becoming drastic.
Mom might not be a doctor but we’re sure she’s aware of when her kid is getting too hooked on the sweet stuff. Her kid is definitely not going to be happy when they find this, but hopefully, they’ll realize that it’s for their own good. Better start learning to love apples and bananas, because that’s what you’re going to be snacking on from now on!
32. Poor Choice Of Napkins
It looks like Mom had an incredibly busy week. So busy, in fact, that she forgot to add napkins to her shopping list. As a result, her kid is going to have to wipe their mouth with a piece of paper, let’s hope mom didn’t pack anything particularly messy for lunch! Even though they don’t have a proper napkin, the note that was left behind tries to find the humor in the situation.
Hopefully, while this kid was busy at school their mom was able to run out and stock up on some napkins. We don’t think these rough pieces of paper are going to make a good replacement for more than a day.
31. Bender Says “Eat Your Lunch!”
This Reddit user shared the kinds of notes he leaves behind for his 7-year-old daughter, and we think they’re absolutely awesome. Apparently, his daughter’s classmates ask why her dad is “so weird,” but we think they might just be jealous that they’re not getting doodles in their lunch boxes. We wonder if his kiddo actually watches Futurama, or if this cartoon is the dad’s favorite.
Either way, we’re sure that this little girl is thrilled to see what kind of drawing her dad will leave in her lunch every day. She’s lucky to have a creative father with a good sense of humor. Let’s just hope her lunch is as good as the sketch!
30. Relaxing with a Little Whiskey
Mom was having a particularly stressful day, in part because she had to write a sermon. What’s a mother to do when she needs to relieve her tension and relax a little? Well, in this mother’s case her solution was to down her son’s Fireball whiskey. We’re wondering how much booze was left in the bottle that she was able to finish the whole thing.
Thankfully she was considerate enough to leave some cash behind so Alex could buy himself a new one. The funniest part of this situation? The note was written on a notepad that promoted the Hangover part 3! No doubt Alex’s mom had to deal with a hangover the morning after all that drinking.
29. Anna is a Turdy Girl
Imagine being the kid who had to hand in this note to their teacher. We might think Anna has a funny dad, but we doubt she was laughing very much when she realized he had called her “turdy”. We’re guessing she threw a major temper tantrum in the morning and was late for school as a result. this must’ve been her dad’s way of getting back at her.
She’ll likely never be late to school again unless she wants to deal with another embarrassing letter like this one! We can only imagine what Anna’s teacher must’ve been thinking when they received this, it was probably a pretty awkward situation. Stop being so turdy, Anna!
28. A Friendly Reminder
Parents often have a difficult time adapting to modern technology. With all the changes to cellphones in the past decade, we can’t really blame them, it’s a lot to keep up with. It looks like this teenager’s phone had a dead battery, and as a result, was not able to receive any text messages. Looks like mom was tired of not having any of her messages go through, but she figured out a way to adapt.
How did people leave each other messages before cellphones? With handwritten notes of course! Mom decided it’s better to be practical and not rely on technology, especially if she needs her kid to pick up a cake. Chances are they’ll notice this as soon as they remove it from the charger.
27. Tough Love Is Still Love
Our theory behind this note is that the straw that came with the juice box somehow disappeared, and this kid’s mom didn’t feel like searching for another one. Instead, she creatively came up with a way to turn her mishap into a fun life lesson. This probably sounds less fun to her thirsty and strawless child, but that’s all part of the lesson!
Parents won’t always be around to protect you, and it’s important to grow up and learn life skills. This particular life skill is about finding ways to puncture a foil juice box without its handy straw. There’s definitely a metaphor in there somewhere, but this kid is probably too thirsty to decipher it.
26. This Leaves Us Feeling Blue
You know that feeling you get after eating too much? That “if I eat even a bite more I’ll explode” feeling? It’s not a pleasant one, so we kind of understand where this blueberry-eater was coming from. On the other hand, they couldn’t handle three more tiny ones?! It’s pretty easy to understand why this parent is so aggravated.
The essentially empty container is just taking up space and reminding everyone of the delicious blueberries they didn’t get to eat. Maybe this person was being generous and purposely left these three behind for the rest of the family to taste. Or maybe they’re just being stupid. Who knows?
25. Mom’s Being Passive-Aggressive
Talk about massive hints! This mom was tired of waiting for her son to pop the question and decided to take matters into her own hands. While she may think she helped persuade, we can’t help but cringe a little bit. Her son is probably holding off proposing for a reason. We’ve all heard disaster stories of people rushing into marriage too soon…
Sounds like her son is caught between a rock and a hard place. It’s definitely a sticky situation but also we would totally want to be at their next family gathering… Thanks for the note mom, but an engagement doesn’t seem to be on the cards just yet!
24. Discount Cookie Monster
It’ll take more than closing your eyes to pretend that these rice cakes are chocolate chip cookies. Aside from their size, there’s literally nothing similar in their taste, smell, or texture. Though we love the good energy these parents give off as they try to fool their children into eating healthier.
It is kind of cruel to bring up delicious cookies, now that’s exactly what this kid will be thinking about as they try to swallow their unappealing snack. Maybe no note would have been better in this scenario. We just hope that when the kid got home he wasn’t too upset and made a beeline to the cookie jar. Better luck next time, mom and dad!
23. The Tooth Fairy Is Real, And Clean
A core childhood memory many of us have is that of the tooth fairy. Your tooth falls out, you stick it under your pillow, and that night a mystical fairy (also known as a parent) sneaks into your room to take it and leave you with some money. Thankfully, Emily is a heavy sleeper and didn’t notice the tooth fairy sneaking around.
It looks like magical tooth creatures hate messes as much as any adult! We’re not sure if this letter will help Emily believe the tooth fairy is real, but at least it will help keep her room tidy. She’ll end up having a nice organized room, plus she’ll be getting some pocket change. It’s a win-win situation!
22. Sweets To Soften The Blow
Awww, chocolate! Wait, what does this note say? These parents tried to soften the blow and gently break the news that their son’s favorite shirt is now pink. They did it in a way that they thought he would understand – through the power of candy. It’s a clever idea, and it was smart that they waited until he was far away from home before they dropped this announcement.
That’s genius conflict resolution right there! To be fair, we’re not sure how much the chocolate would have helped in this scenario, this is still pretty upsetting news. Hopefully, he managed to guilt his parents into buying him ice cream or something. Hey, you have to seize an opportunity!
21. Clean Those Beans Immediately
What was this teenager doing with so many coffee beans? Perhaps they take their morning coffee very seriously and want to oversee the process from start to finish. Maybe they dream of being a barista someday. Regardless, they left a big mess and were probably expecting their parents to clean it up. Luckily for their parents, there were enough beans left to help them get their message across.
We must say, this is an original way to leave a clean-up note. Hopefully, it’ll be more effective than past ones. What better way to get your point across than requires the very cleanup that you’re asking for? Someone get these parents an innovation award!
20. A Pawsitively Purrfect Post Card
It’s obvious that this father misses his daughter loads and is desperate to hear more from her. What better way to get your child to contact you than to lure her in with a cute cat photo? It seems this dad knows his daughter and her love for fuzzy animals too well. Everyone loves pictures of adorable kitties, dad couldn’t go wrong with this one.
We hope this tactic worked out, for both the daughter and father’s sakes. We just hope that she stays in regular contact with her father and just needed this extra push. Otherwise, he’ll have to adopt an awful lot of kittens to tempt her!
19. No More Dad Jokes
Move over dad, it’s mom’s time to shine! And shine she does, with a joke so corny that you can’t help but to giggle and roll your eyes at the same time. Not only is this the very definition of a funny note, but this mom’s love for her son is extremely obvious.
There’s nothing quite like being reminded that you’re loved during the middle of a tiring day. Isaiah is one lucky kid. This goes to show that not all funny notes have to be snarky or demanding. Sometimes they can just be a reminder of a parent’s love and a really, really corny joke!
18. Phantom Conversation
This note seems like it’s encouraging everyone to learn how to clean up after themselves. But it also implies that if mom answered then she’d eventually clean up. It’s only if she isn’t there that everyone else needs to pull their weight. Though it’s a bit of a mixed message, the sarcasm is very clear. The smiley face at the end takes care of that.
Perhaps this mother is trying to point out that everyone should be responsible for themselves. If she was in the kitchen and made the mess, then she would clean it, but if she wasn’t then it isn’t her responsibility. Putting things away and washing the dishes isn’t so complicated. It’s not the parents’ job to be a constant housekeeper for their older kids!
17. It’s Just Steve
The contents of this note make you wonder what would’ve happened if it hadn’t been there. Would their kids really not recognize the difference between a robber/murderer and a worker? If not, then hopefully they found this note very quickly. Maybe it wasn’t the best time for these parents to go out on a romantic canoe trip.
Honestly, this note leaves a lot of things up to chance. If it wasn’t found, then Dave probably had a nasty scare. He could have also thought that it was forged which would have led to some problems for Steve. And of course, there’s a chance that if Steve left and someone else came around the house with a machete, they would be left alone when they shouldn’t have been.
16. To Do And Not To Do
Looking at these lists side by side, you’d hope the one on the left is a joke. If Eric really needed to be reminded not to do those things, then it’s doubtful a measly note would stop him. Also the old-time slang used by the parents is a bit embarrassing. No one says hoodlum or stank anymore. The note on the right is way more reasonable.
Maybe the two notes were created so the real one wouldn’t seem so naggy. If you put a silly one next to it, the “to-do” note seems pretty reasonable. But if the smaller note had been alone, it would have been easier to ignore. Good cop, bad cop parenting is sometimes an effective tactic. It would be interesting to know if Eric completed all the things on the list.
15. Microwave Safe
This note almost looks like it was left by a passive-aggressive angry roommate. But then again, living with your family is basically like living with roommates. There’s just more history and feelings involved. It’s worrisome when your roommate gets angry enough to resort to note writing, and parents are no exception.
It makes you wonder what kind of disaster happened in the microwave that was bad enough to lead to this note. You have to mess up a significant number of times before the passive note writing tactic comes out. Perhaps it was a tomato pasta that got too hot and exploded. That would be a frustrating mess to clean up.
14. Take Care Of The Pets Or Else
This note is quite dramatic. You’d think someone wouldn’t need a death threat in order to assure they take care of a pet that belongs to them. Dogs are usually considered part of the family, everyone has some sort of relationship with the furry friend. If you need to remind your child to be nice to the family dog, then maybe you shouldn’t have gotten one.
This note makes it seem like your loyalties lie first with the pets and only second to your kids. Even if it was meant to be a joke, it’s a bit concerning. Fish on the other hand are a bit less consistent. Their life span is much shorter and therefore it’s much harder to confidently blame anyone for their death.
13. Battle Against Bugs
When ants suddenly appear in your house, you know you’re not doing a good job of cleaning. They swarm around open food and spilled drinks. If you do a decent job of cleaning up, these bugs are usually easy to avoid. But with messy teenagers that turn their rooms into a maze of dirty clothes and unwashed dishes, things can get really disgusting really fast.
This mother must have been on her last leg of sanity if her child’s room got so bad that ants came in. At that point it seems like no matter how much you verbally remind them, nothing changes. She decided to see if a written order would make the message more effective. For her sake, let’s hope so. Having ants in the house is never fun!
12. Fit For A Queen
When guests are due to come over, parents are often known to make cleaning requests. Company should be greeted with a clean home. No one wants their guests to feel uncomfortable due to a mess. And cleanliness is also seen as a sign that you have everything under control. People always want to impress their house guests.
This mother took that idea to the next level when she asked for Queen of England level cleanliness. That means spotless and shining, a pretty steep request. Perhaps she was hoping that if she asked for immaculately clean, she would get basic clean as a result. It’s not a terrible idea. If the goal is fit for a queen, then halfway there isn’t so bad.
11. A Feisty Tooth Fairy
Everyone eventually figures out that the tooth fairy is just their parents. The truth usually becomes clear once you start comparing the gifts you receive with those of your friends. When you realize that some kids get five dollars while others get a quarter, the fantasy starts to unravel. A real tooth fairy would treat everyone equally.
This tooth fairy note is especially unique. If the kid brought this to school to show to their friends, it would ruin the magic of the little white lie. Most kids probably get much more polite notes from their parents. But you have to hand it to this family. Their kid probably burst out laughing when they read this note.
10. Lunchtime Poetry
Many parents leave notes for their kids in their packed lunches. Usually, they are small “I love you” reminders. But this mom took her note to the next level with some poetry. Why she is discouraging trading however is anyone’s guess. Sharing lunches is often a fun part of school. You end up with more varieties of food.
Maybe this kid was trading all of his nutritious items for candy and snacks. That would be an example of trading getting out of hand. If this was the case, then hopefully this note helped the kid to keep their food to themselves. Because if a sweet rhyme doesn’t work, then there isn’t much that this mother can do.
9. When The Note Needs To Be Transcribed
The sentiment of a handwritten note is completely lost if you can’t read the handwriting. But this mother came to the rescue with her typed transcription. And it’s a good thing too. The sweetness of the note wouldn’t have mattered if no one could decipher it. It was probably a fun exercise for Anna to see if she could understand her dad without looking at the typed version.
What’s funny is that the handwritten addition by the mother is also pretty difficult to read. Why didn’t she add her piece as a postscript to the typed version? If Anna can easily read both, then she should head into criminology or forensic science. Deciphering is a skill. But then again, maybe her handwriting is just as bad as her parents’.
8. Don’t Touch the Thermostat
The battle of the thermostat is no joke, especially for families who live in colder climates. Kids always want to crank it up as high as it goes, whereas parents (the ones paying the bills) want to keep it at a reasonable 70 degrees. Looks like this parent provided a helpful chart that indicates when the temperature may be adjusted.
Apparently, there is no combination of factors that will get the temperature higher than 70! The kids are just going to have to bundle up in their winter gear if they’re feeling chilly. If that means donning long underwear and wool coats, so be it! Virtually nothing will get this parent, or the thermostat, to budge.
7. Conveniently Placed Weapons
Say what you want about The Schmidts, at least they’re generous hosts. They’re also very clever at reminding their children to put their potentially dangerous tools locked safely away! While the event of a break-in is very unlikely, leaving tools like these out in the open can be a recipe for disastrous accidents and serious injuries.
It seems this is a common issue at the Schmidt residence. These parents thought that putting a twist on the situation would make their kids finally listen. If we thought about it that way we would be coming to pick up those tools and hide them too! No unwanted guests around these parts.
6. Sorry For Ditching Ya…
Poor Christopher, he came home from work only to find out that his parents left for dinner without him! We guess his dad wasn’t really aware of what time he would be home, and as a result, excluded him from their plans. But we think he’s more than made up for this innocent mistake. The note below tells you everything about what kind of dad he is.
Where should Christopher look for the pizza and beer money? The cat has it, of course! This must be one trustworthy feline if you can give him money to watch over. We hope that Christopher ended up having a nice night in with Meatloaf, maybe he even got a few anchovy slices for him!
5. A Passive-Aggressive Fish
Kids will get on their knees and practically beg their parents to buy them a pet. Most moms and dads know that a cat or dog will quickly become their responsibility rather than their kid’s, so to start out they might opt for a fish instead. But it looks like this kid can’t even be trusted with that!
Clearly, Tiffany is the only child in this house who’s interested in keeping this fish alive. Maybe this angry note, written from the perspective of the fish, will get the lazier child to wake up and start feeding their pet. After all, if they can’t care for a single fish in a bowl then how will they handle a puppy??
4. Tough Love
Being a mom isn’t an easy job. It looks like this mom’s household tasks were beginning to catch up with her, and as a result, she ended up cleaning the kitchen for an extremely long period of time. After that ordeal she wasn’t about to let her kids mess it up again, so she left a very direct note with instructions for them to abide by.
We would be incredibly afraid to leave a single dirty dish behind in this pristine kitchen. Mom is probably watching the area like a hawk, ready to pounce on anyone who dares to ruin her hard work. Don’t take this threat lightly children, your mother isn’t going to tolerate another dirty kitchen!
3. This Car Takes Diesel Only
These parents are taking the proper measures to make sure their daughter doesn’t mess up her first car. Hopefully, they’ve given her the whole talk about “ten and two” when holding the steering wheel, plus explained the dangers of driving under the influence. Now Sarah is ready to get on the road, but there’s one thing she needs to keep in mind before she fills up her first tank of gas.
This car takes diesel and diesel only! We wonder if this came after she tried to put regular fuel in the tank, or if this is just a precaution her parents are taking. Either way, we hope this note sticks out in her mind when she’s at the gas station!
2. Confusing Anti-Itch Cream With Toothpaste
Sharing a bathroom with family members can often result in mixups like these. With so many similar-looking bottles, and kids who might still be learning how to read, it’s practically inevitable that one tube of white stuff gets confused for another. It looks like this is what might have happened here, and mom is taking some smart steps to try and prevent it in the future.
She scribbled down this friendly note, complete with a smiley face, to let everyone in the bathroom know that this particular tube is NOT toothpaste. If you try to brush your teeth with this stuff you’ll be in for a very unpleasant surprise, it’s definitely not recommended. In fact, it might be better to store this Vagisil elsewhere!
1. Rules To Live By
This is an interesting list of rules for mom and dad to leave behind for their son. We’re guessing that they went away for the weekend and didn’t have very much time to leave more thorough explanations. At least with a shortlist Joshua won’t have too many rules he needs to memorize. Though the second one is a little confusing.
Has Joshua brought over three girls at the same time before? That’s got to be a little tasteless, we’re not surprised that his parents don’t want a repeat of that incident. They didn’t write anything about not throwing any wild house parties, so it looks like he might have a little leeway when it comes to those!